


Found Family

by zulu



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: 08-01, F/F, for:lilysaid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-19
Updated: 2008-01-19
Packaged: 2017-10-02 00:54:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zulu/pseuds/zulu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blood is spilled finding family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Found Family

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lilysaid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilysaid/gifts).



> Written for Lilysaid's ficlet prompt. January 19, 2008.

"Unscheduled gate activation," the duty sergeant calls, and the entire gateroom rises into frenzy. The Marines level their guns at the rippling blue, John and Ronon race down the steps, and Teyla follows them, feeling too slow and too cumbersome, but wanting--needing--to know. "Athosian IDC," Sergeant Campbell calls, and Teyla feels her heart contract and the baby kick almost as one.

"Let them through," Colonel Carter calls, and Teyla can do no more than push through the crowd of soldiers, insisting on precedence.

The first person through the gate is Sora.

"Hey!" John shouts, and the Marines tense again. But Teyla does not stop, not even while the others emerge from the wall of blue--Halling and Doran, Pallam and Eydena; the children. She sees only Sora, her heart is filled with only Sora.

"I thought you might never come," she says, and she tries to smile.

Sora looks first to her stomach, and for a moment in her face there is nothing but wonder. "The child?"

"He is--he is well," Teyla says. She senses that John has ordered the Marines back, that her people have left her to this homecoming. In this instant, she no longer wishes to take care with knowledge that should be only hers, and Sora's.

Sora's eyes are so bright and so alive. "A boy?"

Teyla smiles. "Yes."

It seems for a moment that Sora is poised to come to her, and take Teyla in her arms, as Teyla so desperately wants; but then John is at her side, and Ronon is a warm presence at her back, and Rodney is uncertainly shuffling closer.

"Mind if I ask what the hell's going on?" John asks, staring at Sora.

Sora lifts her chin. "It's no business of yours."

"I'm going to have to disagree," John says. "Teyla's pregnancy is for family only. Now if you'd just care to explain exactly what you're doing with the Athosians--"

"She is family," Teyla interrupts. "She is my wife."

"Teyla is carrying my child," Sora says at the same moment, and if the gate room was chaotic before, it is now the most silent Teyla has ever known.

"How is that even _possible?_" Rodney says, and while for the most part his tone is incredulous, there is also a note of genuine curiosity underneath. Teyla closes her eyes and sighs, and wonders when the Lanteans will want to begin their endless testing for something that is otherwise entirely natural.

"You have _encountered_ Ancient technology, right, McKay?" John says. His voice is harsh with sarcasm and he is still glaring at Sora. He has let his gun fall back against his chest, but his hands are cradled over it in a position that is tense with readiness.

"We had been betrothed since childhood," Teyla explains, although this can in no way be considered the time or the place.

"But--" John winces, as if he knows it is the wrong issue to raise, and then he shakes his head and shrugs his question instead.

"We are each our fathers' firstborn," Sora says, and the defiance in the set of her shoulders has definitely grown. "The alliance between the Genii and any other people demands fertility as evidence of good intent."

"John, I am sorry I did not tell you," Teyla says. "I did not want to...complicate things further."

"How is the baby even _male_?" Rodney continues, but Ronon buffets him on the arm and he trails off into mutters and finally silence.

"I did not know that Sora would remain with my people once they were captured," Teyla said. "Once we had fulfilled the obligation of the alliance... This is as unexpected for me as it is for you."

"Not quite," John says, but Teyla hasn't truly taken her eyes off of Sora since the moment she walked through the gate, and she does not have the time or the temper to soothe him.

"We were forced to run when the Djamuri army overwhelmed us," Sora says. Teyla notices for the first time that she is dust-streaked, sweat-stained. Her hair is filthy, cut short, showing only hints of red and gold. She is weary, as tense as John is and hiding it even less well. She is unutterably beautiful.

"And you stayed safe all this time?" Teyla asks. She wants to say, _are you safe? are you well?_ but she cannot. Not yet. Perhaps not ever.

"We travelled to as many worlds as were still safe," Sora says, "but we had to keep moving once the Replicators started destroying worlds."

The map of hardships is written on her face. Teyla wants to ease all the hurts from her, wash her body clean and trace every moment that they were parted. She did not know she was carrying this wound so deeply, but now that it is healed, she feels the release like the weight of tears in her throat. She can only hate that it happened like this, that they are surrounded by those who cannot understand.

"Hey," Ronon says. "You should rest."

It is not clear which of them he means, for all at once Teyla feels that she cannot stay on her feet a moment longer and Sora looks just as near to collapse; but John seems to see his Marines for the first time, the gawking audience all about them.

"Yeah," he says. "Okay. Clear out," he orders, at parade volume, and then he takes Teyla's elbow. "Are you sure about this?"

"I am certain," she says. In her heart she is. In her mind there are still questions, uncertainties, but those can most certainly wait. It is her heart that she must tend to in this moment.

In an eternity, she has brought Sora to her quarters, and they are alone. John and Colonel Carter will expect briefings, explanations, but tomorrow will be soon enough. "Come," Teyla says, and starts the water in the bath, warm and soothing.

She helps Sora from her clothes. In ragged layers, under torn cast-offs, the body that she remembers so well emerges, bruised but never broken. Sora watches her, and she lets her hands trail over Teyla's wrists, brushing her hair back to watch her face, standing still and calm until she is naked and pale and seeming so lost. Teyla undresses as well, to reveal the round expanse of her stomach, the low heavy swing of her breasts. Sora licks her lips and her breath catches as if she would speak, but Teyla takes her by the hand and leads her to the bath.

It is fully big enough for the both of them, and the water is soft against their skin. Sora shudders in her grasp, and Teyla only holds her until her muscles relax, until they float together, skin slippery on skin. Then, gently, she works soap over Sora's shoulders, down her arms, over her breasts, her stomach. She massages shampoo through Sora's curls, her fingertips soothing and smoothing, until her hair is fresh-scented and her skin glows rosy.

They stay, until their fingers are wrinkled and the water has begun to cool, and they only hold each other, and feel. Teyla knows there is still anger in Sora's mind, and Sora cannot forgive or forget so quickly; but for the moment, all seems well; until Teyla hears the ragged pull of Sora's breath, and realizes she is crying.

"I'm sorry," Sora whispers, turning her face and her warm breath to Teyla's moist throat. "For leaving. I never meant to leave."

"But you are here now," Teyla says, and, naked, they press together, until their foreheads touch, the baby cradled between them, and at last, Teyla knows that all will be well.


End file.
